Current Promotion

Spring is one of the best times to get you car’s alignment checked out, as dealing with potholes and storm-damaged roads from the winter, can change how your car drives and handles the road. So for April’s Mechanical Monday, we’re focusing on alignments.

Definition

An alignment is the adjustment of the steering and suspension components of your vehicle. A properly aligned car is essential for even tread wear on your tires and precise steering on the road. You should have your alignment checked at least once per year or anytime you have your tires replaced.

At Sullivan Tire, our ASE certified technicians use Hunter Alignment machines to see if your vehicle requires a two or four-wheel alignment. With our state-of-the-art technology, we’re able to provide you with a computer printout showing the adjustments that were made to your vehicle.

The most common adjustable angles are:

Toe: refers to the tilted direction of the wheels toward or away from one another when viewed from the front. Tires that “toe-in” point toward one another, “toe out” point away from each other.

Camber: refers to the tilt of the wheels toward or away from one another when viewed from the top. Wheels that tilt in toward the vehicle have “negative camber,” wheels that tilt away from the vehicle have “positive camber.”

Caster: refers to the angle of the steering axis in relation to an imaginary vertical line through the center of the wheel when viewed from the side. A “positive caster” is when the vertical line is tilted back towards the rear, a “negative caster” tilts forward.

Thrust angle: refers to the direction in which the rear wheels are pointed. It is the relationship of all four wheels to each other, as well as their relationship to an imaginary centerline that runs from bumper to bumper.

Symptoms

These are the most common symptoms of a car that’s out of alignment:

Excessive or uneven tire wear.

Steering wheel pulls to the left or right.

Feeling of looseness or wandering.

Steering wheel vibration or shimmy.

Steering wheel is not centered when car is moving straight ahead.

Cost

Checking your alignment at Sullivan Tire is FREE, and the cost of a four-wheel alignment is $89.99. We also offer a Lifetime Alignment, which costs $199.99 and includes unlimited alignments for the life of your vehicle!